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Mizzima: Burma's human rights commi



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                Burma?s human rights committee slow-going

New Delhi, April 12, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

The low-profile ?human rights committee? formed by the Burmese military
regime is not going much towards its stated aim of establishing a
national human rights institution in the country. The committee?s
over-all work is still in its early stage of studying various human
rights mechanisms of the United Nations and its members participating in
the human rights workshops sponsored by AusAID and Australian
consultants, conducted by former Australian human rights commissioner
Mr. Chris Sidoti.

The generals set up a human rights committee in October last year after
the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) approved the proposal of
the Home Affairs Minister for the formation that was submitted in April
2000.

The eventual aim of the committee is stated to be the establishment of a
national human rights institution in the military-run country. Secretary
? I of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Lt. Gen. Khin
Nyunt heads the board of patrons with the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
the Home Affairs Minister, the Chief Justice and the Attorney General.

Col. Tin Hlaing, the Home Affairs Minister of the regime, chairs the
20-member Committee which has outlined three main priorities such as ?to
study human rights question as a whole, especially activities and
mechanisms of the United Nations and regional and national
organizations, to study and submit proposals for the establishment of a
national human rights institution and to form sub-committees to carry
out its work?.

It has eight sub-committees such as Home Affairs, Education, Legal
Affairs, Health, Labour, Religious Affairs, Social Welfare and
International Affairs sub-committees.

Speaking at the meeting of the heads of the human rights sub-committees
in Rangoon on February 9 this year, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
U Khin Maung Win said that his government is committed to having
established a national human rights institution in the country although
the institution might not meet the Paris Principles in full at first.

Prof. May May Yi, Vice Chair of the government-sponsored Myanmar
National Committee for Women?s Affairs said that women?s equality was
recognized in Burma both in customary law and into constitutions since
independence. Dr. Khin Win Shwe, another member of the National
Committee for Women?s Affairs added that ?violence against women occurs
in Burma but it is not a big issue?. According to her, out of the survey
their committee have done covering 80% of townships, between 3 and 15%
of women in those townships were affected by physical violence and
slightly more by mental violence. The causes of the violence included
parental problems, alcoholism, adultery and family disharmony.



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<center><b><font color="#0000FF"><font size=+2>Burma?s human rights committee
slow-going</font></font></b></center>

<p><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>New Delhi, April 12, 2001</font></font>
<br><font color="#990000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (<a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>www.mizzima.com</a>)</font></font>
<p><font size=+1>The low-profile ?human rights committee? formed by the
Burmese military regime is not going much towards its stated aim of establishing
a national human rights institution in the country. The committee?s over-all
work is still in its early stage of studying various human rights mechanisms
of the United Nations and its members participating in the human rights
workshops sponsored by AusAID and Australian consultants, conducted by
former Australian human rights commissioner Mr. Chris Sidoti.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The generals set up a human rights committee in October
last year after the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) approved
the proposal of the Home Affairs Minister for the formation that was submitted
in April 2000.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The eventual aim of the committee is stated to be the
establishment of a national human rights institution in the military-run
country. Secretary ? I of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC)
Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt heads the board of patrons with the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, the Home Affairs Minister, the Chief Justice and the Attorney
General.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Col. Tin Hlaing, the Home Affairs Minister of the regime,
chairs the 20-member Committee which has outlined three main priorities
such as ?to study human rights question as a whole, especially activities
and mechanisms of the United Nations and regional and national organizations,
to study and submit proposals for the establishment of a national human
rights institution and to form sub-committees to carry out its work?.</font>
<p><font size=+1>It has eight sub-committees such as Home Affairs, Education,
Legal Affairs, Health, Labour, Religious Affairs, Social Welfare and International
Affairs sub-committees.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Speaking at the meeting of the heads of the human rights
sub-committees in Rangoon on February 9 this year, Deputy Minister for
Foreign Affairs U Khin Maung Win said that his government is committed
to having established a national human rights institution in the country
although the institution might not meet the Paris Principles in full at
first.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Prof. May May Yi, Vice Chair of the government-sponsored
Myanmar National Committee for Women?s Affairs said that women?s equality
was recognized in Burma both in customary law and into constitutions since
independence. Dr. Khin Win Shwe, another member of the National Committee
for Women?s Affairs added that ?violence against women occurs in Burma
but it is not a big issue?. According to her, out of the survey their committee
have done covering 80% of townships, between 3 and 15% of women in those
townships were affected by physical violence and slightly more by mental
violence. The causes of the violence included parental problems, alcoholism,
adultery and family disharmony.</font>
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